Haibao a Gumby copycat? No way!

Many of us here at Shanghaiist were so-called “kids of the 80s.” So, it should come as no surprise that we were among the thousands for whom that decade’s most famous slab of clay has come to mind in the time Haibao has existed. Whether or not the coincidence is intentional or accidental is a moot point anyway: Gumby is green. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the mascot of Xinxiang Haibao Electrical Appliance Company: not only is he blue, but he also wears a cape, much like nü-Haibao does in the videos where he patrols Shanghai’s streets for fakes, weapons and all things evil. Thankfully, the company reports it has “never had so much free publicity” – and after all, isn’t public interest what branding is meant to generate anyway?